Git Yer Red Hot Chevy Volt While Ya Can!

By Rob Janicki


USA Today
[...]  General Motors is stopping production of the Chevy Volt and European sibling Opel Ampera for five weeks due to slow sales. 

GM told the 1,300 employees building Volts at its Detroit Hamtramck plant that they will be laid off from March 19 to April 23.

Chevrolet sold 1,023 Volts in the U.S. in February and 1,626 so far this year. In 2011, it sold 7,671 -- short of its initial goal of 10,000.  [...]

Chevy had projected selling 10,000 Volts in 2011.  They had planned to produce 60,000 Volts this year, with 45,000 for sale in the U.S..  GM has not publicized its current production schedule for 2012.

[...]  Critics have pointed to its price tag and the federal subsidy of $7,500 plus state subsidies for people to buy one. They charge that the average buyer has a $170,000 household income and doesn't need to have a new-car purchase subsidized.  [...]


The Obama administration, not to be dissuaded by the abysmal sales of Volts, has decided to double down on their bet.  President Obama's latest budget proposal includes an increase from the $7,500 subsidy to a $10,000 subsidy for the Volt.  Only under Obamanomics does a losing proposition deserve an increased subsidy.  But isn't this always the liberal/progressive excuse for their economic failures?  If only they had put more money into the subsidy to begin with, sales would have skyrocketed.  To a liberal/progressive, government failure is always because government didn't put enough money into the project/policy or government had the wrong people in charge of the project/policy.  It's always about more government money and participation and the right super smart people that are necessary for success.

It gets worse. 
The Blaze
 [....]  "[L]ow emission model[s] of the 2012 Chevrolet Volt electric car are on their way to California, where customers will qualify for a $1,500 state rebate [emphasis added],”
And just in case that‘s not enough to convince you to buy the EV, the state of California has also agreed that Volt drivers will be given total access to California’s carpool lanes.  [...]

How can anyone resist such an offer?